The INDUMIL Córdova 9mm, Colombia’s First Domestic Production Pistol

As someone who speaks English as a second language, the ebb and flow of firearms development and ownership outside of the US is of interest to me. Latin America is especially in my sphere since Spanish is my first language and what I primarily speak at home. So when my friends down south told me of a new pistol they’d seen and that it came from a country that borders Brazil. I was all ears.

Colombia, that wonderful South American nation that borders Venezuela is mostly known to Americans for cocaine, narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar, and the Narcos television show on Netflix. But Colombia actually has a domestic arms industry.

INDUMIL (short for Industria Militar Colombiana) is a state-owned arms producer founded in 1954 and headquartered in Bogotá with a factory in Sogamoso. Originally founded to repair the various Mausers and later the HK G3s in service there, INDUMIL branched out when the Colombian government adopted the Galil in 5.56 as their service rifle back in 1992.

Since then, INDUMIL has had a close partnership with Israel and now actually makes the Galil and exports them to neighboring countries, even producing some parts for IWI.

With that partnership, INDUMIL grew in experience and confidence and eventually struck out on their own.

Named after Colombian War of Independence hero and “Lion of Ayacucho“, General José María Córdova Muñoz. The Cordova is a modern production pistol. A slide-mounted safety, standard breech-locked tilt barrel, double/single action, hammer-fired 9mm pistol with a capacity of 15 rounds and an accessory rail.

It was initially designed for government agencies and the Colombian armed forces. At the beginning of 2014, the first production run of 500 units was made exclusively for the Ministry of Defense, planning to export more that same year. The tests at first were positive and the pistol began its commercialization in the Colombian private market, available to some active and retired military as well as private security personnel and police.

After the initial release, users found some flaws, especially in feeding. In December 2014, INDUMIL, issued a recall of all pistols and production of the Cordova stopped as the factory concentrated on correcting the failures. By May 2015, 75% of the guns on the market had been fixed. By August 2015, 99% of the pistols were ready, and full commercial production started again in September of that year.

In June 2016, the current version of the gun was launched and was subjected to the National Institute of Justice standards testing for the Colombian National Police, along with the Ministry of Defense – Army of Colombia testing. That process showed that the pistol met or exceeded what the Colombian government wanted.

The Cordova is currently in service with the Colombian Army, National Penitentiary and Prison Institute, National Protection Unit, Colombian National Police and various private security companies. It’s also now available for general civilian sales (if one is lucky enough to get a permit).

The Cordova has, for the most part, been serving with little to no issues. The Colombian National Police’s elite Anti-Kidnapping & Anti-Extortion unit, known as Grupo GAULA has also adopted the Cordova as their official sidearm.

The pistol weighs in at 1.7 lbs and has an 11 lb double action pull with a 8 lb single action pull. On the dust cover of the frame is a MIL standard 1913 accessory rail with a removable cover. The backstrap is replaceable for different grip profiles. The magazine release is fully ambidextrous.

The barrel is 4.4 inches long and has hexagonal rifling. Overall length is 7.8 inches and, as an extra option, it can be had with tritium night sights.

Capacity as mentioned is 15+1 and on the general civilian market in Colombia, it’s 9+1. That’s right, in Colombia you’re limited to 10 rounds total in the gun, not just in the magazine.

The Cordova has gained popularity in Colombia and export to other markets is possible. Back in 2017, INDUMIL told Jane’s Defence Weekly that they were in talks with possible importers for the US and Canadian markets. According to the article . . .

In mid-September [2017] INDUMIL sent 10 pistols to a prospective client in the United States and three to Mexico, seeking to open North American markets. It is also in talks with possible buyers in Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador.

English print brochure courtesy of INDUMIL

Has anything beneficial come of INDUMIL’s talks with possible importers? At the moment, there’s no official word. The Cordova is already being exported to Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina. Maybe we’ll see it here in US gun shops one day soon.

Probably. Blueprints are out there, it never had any patent protection in most countries yet it’s a good pistol and the only thing that makes it remotely unsuited for modern military use is the weight of the all metal frame which is fixed here. Even the Turks could figure out how to clone it.

I like DA/SA, so I can’t help but ask… what is the point of a DA/SA where the SA pull is going to be heavier than pretty much any factory striker trigger would be? That DA pull (or cocking the hammer) is supposed to be the keys to the light trigger kingdom, isn’t it?

I am surprised France doesn’t produce more firearms. Despite all the jokes they have a rich military history. They have a history of inventing stuffs and crafting top notch products. I know the people cannot carry for self defense and general access to firearms is very “liberal gun controlled” but I still don’t get it. If they had put more dedication into it I am sure they would have been able to produce things on par with HK, Walther, Glock, Beretta, Sig etc.

As far as S America it makes more sense, they don’t really have a history of manufacturing stuffs. Cars? Watches? Computers? Airplanes? Nothing comes to mind. So it’s more expected imo.

“As far as S America it makes more sense, they don’t really have a history of manufacturing stuffs. Cars? Watches? Computers? Airplanes? Nothing comes to mind.”

*Snort*

South America is pretty solid on aircraft manufacture.

Embraer in Brazil is the third largest aircraft manufacturer on the planet, only behind Airbus and Boeing.

Their ‘Super Tucano’ light attack turboprop is a personal favorite of mine, but they are heavy into very well thought-of light and regional jets, as well.

Strong enough airplanes that in 2006 a Boeing 737 at the flight levels had a mid-air collision with an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet heading the opposite direction at the same altitude.

The carbon-fiber winglet on the Embraer Legacy sliced open the skin on the bottom of the 737’s wing, and it folded up and slammed into the jungle. Everyone on the Boeing 737 died, everyone on the Embraer Legacy survived.

And the French are largely armed (small-arms wise) by other EU countries (and appear to be mostly phasing out the old French-made Weapons). To a degree, why compete when you can outsource to the Germans, Austrians, Italians, and Belgians (and are in an ever-closer political union with them, as much as it sucks)? They make a lot of their own missiles, vehicles, and planes, so I can see why they don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel with small arms.